№2 ➤ video/action ⁖

[noneedforheroic]

[She knew better, really she did, but the dull edge of restlessness was just starting to get to her. Had been creeping, very slowly, she wasn't like Red, she could handle downtime and endless hours of bullshit recon with nothing but a cigarette for company. But it had found a catalyst in those fucking phantoms, a subtle itch that she just can't

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[action; I couldn't resist]

[no_hometown]

[There is no one swifter in her world, and few to match her speed in any other. She doesn't arrive so much as appear, in a flash of silver hair and pauldrons above the black of her combat gear. She'd seen Rude's message on the Vine while she was out patrolling.

Her green eyes flash, and she gazes down at Rude as if she can see through her, but in truth, she is assessing the situation. It takes but a moment. She recognizes the symptoms, and she does not waste time with greetings or questions. She raises an arm.]

[ESUNA]

[The light from her Heal Materia flares and washes over the woman. She has greater command over Materia than anyone else, she knows this, and she is confident that this will solve the problem. Yet she will not entirely take for granted that it will work in this place, where things are not necessarily the same as they are at home. She drops into an easy crouch beside the woman, still watching her closely.]

You should recover shortly. I will remain with you.

[action; beautiful and hideous]

[noneedforheroic]

[This is the worst day of her life. She needs to write down the date, because it's really the worst. There's gotta be some kind of sick god laughing about this somewhere, because all the hells there ever were should be freezing over before she's getting her ass saved by the goddamn world destroyer. It's almost a stretch, to get her mind back in order, because it's just that incongruous.

She just spits the last of the bile out of her mouth, her lips still a bit numb with the burning taste of it, but she's able to sit up.]

...I probably got it from here...

[She'll get on standing when her brain feels less fevered.]

[action]

[no_hometown]

Lie down. [The words, though calm, are a SOLDIER's command, not a suggestion.] You are suffering from the effects of an unknown toxin. [She will not be disobeyed. One cannot allow ill and possibly delirious people to act however they wish; they are not fit to make such decisions.]

[Sephiroth uses her Restore Materia on Rude as well, for good measure, the green light of the Cure spell playing over Rude's body.]

You will stay here until I have determined that you have recovered enough to move.

[action]

[noneedforheroic]

[It rankles. There's a piece of her mind that reacts, body tensing up because she was a soldier a damn sight longer than she was a Turk. But those two factions never did have a good relationship.

She grits her teeth. Arguing with Sephiroth doesn't sound like a good plan either.]

Movin'.

[She decides this, motioning at the frothy puddle of stomach acid and breakfast she'd hacked up. There's a nice tree a little further away and she will go rest underneath it.

Compromises. It's all about compromises.]

[tasercopter]

[Reno likes to hang around watching the Vine. It's not the best form of entertainment, but you never know when something interesting might show up on it. Though by "interesting" she doesn't mean suddenly getting an eyeful of her partner bleeding and barfing all over the place. What the fuck--?]

Be right there.

[She doesn't bother waiting for a response, waste of time. Reno doesn't need to be told about the medkit. She knows where it is, and she's out the door with it in a flash.

She knows where the caves are, too. In fact, she knows a lot for someone who acts like they loaf around drinking all day, probably because that's something of a deception. (Not that she doesn't actually drink, because she loves drinking.) But she's not being lazy now, and she arrives soon enough, medkit in hand, armed, and out of breath.]

What the hell happened to you?

[But she doesn't know if Rude can answer or not, and she's already kneeling beside her with the medkit open--there must be antidotes in there...]

[noneedforheroic]

[Rude gives a bitter little laugh, always feels pretty patently ridiculous when she's got to let Reno be her nurse. She accepts it, better than she would somebody outside their team, but she doesn't like it.]

Hah. [Hack, hack, sputter.] Went spelunking.

[Caught the wrong end of some claws. No big deal. Her body wasn't trying to turn itself inside out in rejection of that poison or anything.]

[tasercopter]

[There it is. This stuff should do the trick. Reno usually isn't the one to do the fixing up, but she knows how.]

Spelunking. Great. Couldn't you go spelunking in some pussy like a normal person? [She shakes her head.]

Like me, for instance. I don't go in caves lookin' for monsters. [She'd go in a cave full of monsters without a second thought if that was the order, and probably crack a joke about it, but what the hell is the point of going into a monster cave for no reason? It's not fun.]

If you were that bored, you could've told me.

[noneedforheroic]

[She snorts, accepts the vial that she finally gets off red and chokes it down before another wave of muscle spasms and heaving can be set off. Good old fashioned Midgar medicine... She doesn't really want to think about what they'd use in a backwoods place like this. Thank all that was holy for the magic dirt.]

I can entertain myself.

[A pretty dry, pointless joke, but she's already on top of berating herself, taking in Reno's little rant isn't that much of a bruise.]

[urbanwonderland]

[Reeve appears onscreen in due course, brows knitted in accordance with the occasion.]

Rude? Rude are you conscious?
[She's aware that Sephiroth is somewhere out and about-- it wouldn't surprise her to see the SOLDIER momentarily.]

I do have some material, but I'm rather far away-- I'll stay with you until Reno, or someone else, arrives. But I'm only willing to wait a very short time.

[noneedforheroic]

[She inhales deep, and carries on reflecting that this place can get surreal sometimes.]

Don't squawk, Reeve.

[Not like people really died in this place anyway, right?]

[urbanwonderland]

[Reeve smiles, but remains concerned.]

Yes, I see you are indeed conscious.
All right, I won't "squawk", but I will insist on keeping you talking. What in all the hells did you run into down there?

[noneedforheroic]

[She gives a vague hand motion meant to indicate fangs, claws, tails, but is really more focused on trying to keep her breathing even. Puking her guts out is less fun than it sounds.]

Ugly bitches.

[And of course even the monsters were all female in this place, they knew that though.]

Vid vid. Yes I am aware how unhelpful a comment like this is. She's like that.

[peachhat]

You sure look pretty busted up there, must have been some fight. So you ARE an actual fighter, I see.

[noneedforheroic]

[Her lip curls, and she spits, really trying to clear the unpleasant taste from her mouth, but hey, she doesn't appreciate being mocked while she's down.]

Must be.

[peachhat]

What did you fight? Some oversized chicken? Heard they were dangerous to average humans. Wouldn't know, not being one.

Could help ya, if you still need. Kind of what a being like me should do, towards ordinary humans and all.

[noneedforheroic]

[Her shoulders tense. and she gives an annoyed little snort.]

Fuck yourself, kiddo.

[action]

[existwithoutme]

[When Rude looks up, it might seem like a symptom of her delirium, but a small, oddly dressed woman is floating above her, looking down at her with very cold eyes.]

You should be more careful. You're only a weak human. [She continues to study Rude, seemingly indifferent, but she is attempting to feel a measure of compassion for the suffering creature. Surely sympathy should be immediate? She could cure Rude easily, but she'd like to feel something first.]

[She glances toward the cave opening.] What are the monsters like?

[action]

[noneedforheroic]

[That's downright distressing, and it's never a good sign when someone's looking down their nose at you, reminding you about the weakness inherit to your species.]

Beastly.

[A terse answer to a dumb question. She shakes her head and gives another cough, annoyed by the way her arms shake.]

[action]

[existwithoutme]

Not that it truly matters, as you cannot die here, but I've heard pain can be traumatic. [She examines Rude searchingly, as if looking for signs of this trauma. Maybe she's starting to feel something, but she doesn't have enough empathy to realize this is not the way to be empathetic.]

[She gives a little smile.] Hm, how descriptive. I find humans can be rather beastly as well. Such is the nature of beasts. After all, you entered the monsters' realm, and they reacted as any territorial creature would. I don't doubt you attacked them in response. Animals are so predictable.

[action]

[noneedforheroic]

[She snorts, curling up slightly to ease the tremor. This isn't a good time for philosophy.]

Then I was in good company.

[She looks up, sunglasses slipping down her nose.]

You want something? I'm a little busy.